Our world is full of some great, taste-bud tingling, aromatic, delectable savories. We have our pizzas, burgers, hot-digs and what not to fulfill our carnal desire of hunger. We often want to try new things in life. We want to learn new cultures and languages, see new traditions and of course, taste new food. We can go far for our desire to taste something new. Here is a list of the top 7 exotic food from around the world and we suggest you keep your food aside if you’re reading this.
Wasp Crackers
The East- Asians do love their insects and how. This Japanese food item of Wasp Crackers is exactly what it sounds like. Wasps are caught, boiled to death, dried and then simply mixed into a batter or dough of crackers. Imagine a chocolate chip cookie but instead of chocolate chips, you have wasps! Wasp crackers are extremely famous in Japan and are extremely cheap too. These Wasp Crackers have created quite the buzz around the global food market recently.
Bear Claw
You read that right. There is actually a dish in which you can eat bear claws! This bear claw stew is a Chinese delicacy and it costs a bomb. It said to boost your health and sexual performance and so, people do burn a hole in their pockets and eat this. But this delicacy is facing some problems today as the animal rights activists are protesting against the apparent torture of the bears before the killing and cooking. The torture of the bears releases some toxins and hormones in the bear which give it the taste that it has.
Fried Tarantula
Oh, nothing much, just a poisonous species of an icky looking, hairy spider that is deep-fried till perfection. That’s right! In Cambodia, the Thai Zebra Tarantula, which is about the size of a human hand, is a common delicacy. These can be found everywhere in Cambodia- from street-side vendors to expensive restaurants. The tarantulas are pan-fried with garlic and a pinch of salt. It is crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. Most people only eat the legs and upper head, which is said to be extremely crispy, but the brave-hearted also eat the abdomen.
Monkey Brains
This dish is rather controversial but the fact that someone even thought of eating a monkey’s brain is enough for putting off a lot of people. Monkey brain is eaten in China and other East-Asian countries. The brain is cooked with spices or it is eaten raw. What made this dish a controversy is the fact that monkeys are placed at a very high order in the food chain and experts say that the act of eating a monkey’s brain can lead to cannibalism. It is said that the monkey’s brain can cure erectile dysfunction but in fact, eating it is very dangerous and had many health risks.
Live Cobra Heart
Live Cobra Heart is not a common thing to eat but some people in Vietnam do it. If that wasn’t bad enough, you should know that the Vietnamese eat live cobra’s heart raw and uncooked. And to top it all off, the only ‘preparation’ to this dish is that they wash the cobra’s heart with the cobra’s blood! Takes bizarre to a whole new level, doesn’t it? People who eat this dish think that they will endure the powers and strengths of the Cobra and so, they don’t even clean it, just swallow it whole, while it is still beating.
Haggis
Not all the exotic food items are from the east. Some bizarre food items from Europe can also shock you for their ingredients. Haggis is a dish from Scotland. It is a savory pudding containing sheep’s liver, heart, and lungs. This is mixed with some chopped onions, spices etc and then again, encased in the stomach of the sheep and simmered. Although this dish doesn’t sound appealing, it is said to have great texture and taste, two things that food connoisseurs are always on the lookout for.
Century Eggs
Do you remember fighting from breath every time you passed by a science lab with ammonia and sulfur? Now imagine eating it. Century eggs or millennium eggs are a Chinese dish in which the eggs of quail, chicken, and duck are covered in ashes, clay salt and preserved for months together. The insides of the egg decompose and form a greenish jelly-like mixture which is then served straight on your plate. Their taste is extremely strong but the dish is very well liked in China.
